THE MARVELOUS MANGO

A poet from India, where mangoes have been cultivated for thousands of years, described them as sealed jars of paradisaical honey. My brother-in-law, Yahalom Levy, simply calls the mango the king of fruits.

One day I served slices of his favorite fruit with fresh raspberries from my garden, and the combination was so terrific that I decided to make Mango Melba.

The juicy mango is sweet with a whisper of tartness and is just perfect with ice cream flavored with the fruit's tropical neighbor, vanilla. Of course, I top the dessert with Melba sauce, made the traditional way from Europe's beloved berry, the raspberry.

Mangoes are one of the world's major fruit crops. In the tropics, they appear on the table as often as apples do in North America. And, like apples, not all mangoes are alike. There are 500 varieties. Kent and Keitt are flavorful, smooth, meaty ones. At the market, however, the variety is usually not labeled.

Of course, mangoes are available on trees in Florida through September. But many of us have to resort to buying them.

I used to be frustrated when some of the mangoes I bought proved to be unpleasantly fibrous. Friends from India suggested I purchase them at an Indian grocery store, because people from India know their mangoes. Their advice proved worthwhile.

In the last couple of years, I noticed the quality of mangoes at my local supermarket has improved.

Mango is a most nutritious fruit, with practically a full day's supply of vitamin A. Mangoes contain plenty of vitamin C and even some vitamin E, which is not found in many produce items. A half-mango has 65 calories, about the same as a cup of sliced apples or two-thirds of a banana.

When buying mangoes, choose firm, heavy ones, and let them ripen at room temperature. Most mangoes have yellowish-orange or reddish skin when ripe, but Keitt mangoes may be ripe even though their skin is still green. Ripe mangoes should yield evenly to slight pressure and should have a sweet, aromatic fragrance. They should not be very soft, and their skin should not be shriveled. Chill briefly before serving.

DESSERT

MANGO CUSTARD TART (KUCHEN)

Tart Crust:

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon sugar

Pinch salt

1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

Mango Filling:

Water

4 large eggs

1 cup light cream

1 cup sugar

Pinch salt

1 heaping cup peeled, pitted and cubed mangoes

To make crust: Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Combine the flour, sugar and salt in a mixing bowl. Work in the butter with a pastry fork or your hands, then press the dough until the mixture resembles cookie dough. Work in the vinegar, then press the dough evenly over the bottom and up the sides of an 8-inch square casserole or 9-inch round pie plate. Bake in the center of the oven about 20 minutes or until the crust is beginning to color. Remove it from the oven and reduce the temperature to 375 degrees.

To make filling: Add water to the bottom of a double boiler. Bring the water to a simmer over medium heat. Break the eggs into a mixing bowl and beat until they are smooth. Whisk in the cream until smooth and then stir in the sugar and salt. Transfer this custard mixture to the top half of the double boiler and place it over the simmering water. Cook, stirring constantly, until the custard is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon. Remove it from the heat.

Spread the fruit over the crust and pour the custard over the fruit. Bake in the center of the oven 40 to 50 minutes or until the custard is set and the crust lightly browned. Serve warm or at room temperature. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Puree berries in food processor fitted with the metal blade or blender. Add 2/3 cup sifted confectioners' sugar and process until very smooth. Strain into bowl, pressing on pulp in strainer. Use rubber spatula to scrape mixture from underside of strainer.

Taste sauce and whisk in more confectioners' sugar, if needed. Whisk to blend well. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes. Stir in brandy before serving. Serve cold. Makes about 1 cup or 4 servings.

Ripe mango served with soft vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt is wonderful. Add raspberry sauce and it's sublime. When I don't want to take the trouble to strain the sauce, I simply chop some raspberries coarsely instead of making a smooth puree.

Hold the mango with one end pointing toward you and cut downward on either side of the flat pit, as near to it as possible. A ring of flesh will adhere to the pit; the rest of the mango will be cut in two near-halves.

Score the meat of each mango half into cubes in a crisscross pattern, cutting about 4 times in each direction; cut through all the meat without piercing the skin. Cut cubes from the skin.

At serving time, scoop ice cream into 4 dessert dishes. Spoon a little Fresh Raspberry Sauce over and around ice cream. Pour rest of sauce into sauceboat or serving dish. Scatter mango cubes over and around ice cream. Garnish each serving with fresh raspberries and mint leaves, if using. Serve immediately. Makes 4 servings.